Kurunegala Urban Development plan Volume 01 Urban Development Authority North Western Province 2019 – 2030 Document Information All Rights Reserved. This publication is published by the Urban Development Authority. Any part of this publication without any prior written permission is a punishable offence, in any form of photocopying, recording or any distribution using other means, including electronic or mechanical methods. Plan title : Kurunegala Town Development Plan Planning boundary : Urban Development Authority Area, Kurunegala Gazette number : 2129/96-2019/06/08 Stakeholders : Kurunegala Municipal Council, Kurunegala Pradeshiya Sabha and other institutions. Submitted date : 2019 June Published by, Urban Development Authority - Sri Lanka 6th , 7th and 9th Floors, "Sethsiripaya", Battaramulla. Website - wwwudagove.lk Email - Infoudagov.lk Phone - +94112873637 The Kurunegala Town Development Plan 2019 - 2030 consists of two sections and it is published as Volume I and Volume II. The volume I is comprised of two parts. The first part of the volume I consist of introduction of the development plan, background studies and need of the plan. The second part of volume I consists of vision of the plan, goals, objectives, conceptual plan and development plans. The volume II of the development plan has been prepared as a separate publication. It consists of the regulations for plans and buildings, zoning regulations for the year 2019 – 2030. Supervision Dr. Jagath Munasinghe - Chairman of the UDA Eng. S.S. P. Rathnayake - Director General of the UDA Town Planner, K.A.D. Chandradasa - Additional Director General of the UDA Town Planner, D.M.B. Ranathunga - Deputy Director General of the UDA Town Planner, Lalith Wijerathna - Director (Development Planning) in UDA Town Planner, Janak Ranaweera - Director (Research and Development), UDA ii Preface An urban population in Sri Lanka is rapidly increasing. Hence areas known as villages in the past are becoming more urbanized. So it is seen that very urbanization is taking place with urban characteristics in the areas where they were considered as villages in the past. If this urbanization is to take place orderly a proper guidance needs to be given through strategic Urban Development Plan. In a period where such an urban Plans are under preparation the way of making of that Plan for Kurunegala Town is hereby emphasized. It is evident that Kurunegala Town was historically a significant Town as it was a Kingdom in the past that is to say it was given a great value consideratio. However there might have been various reasons for not receiving the same importance of in the past to the Town at present. In view of this there is a compelling need for the comprehensive Urban Development Plan with a great vision. Thus this plan gives a guidance as to how the Town be developed within next 11 year period for the development of the country and for the significant increase of Socio-Economic, Physical and Environmental Development of the Town. iii Acknowledgment All political representatives who involves in the development activities in Kurunegala District and supported in various ways in the process of preparation of the Development Plan - 2030 for Kurunegala Urban Area covering Kurunegala Municipal Council Area and Kurunegala Pradeshiya Sabha Area at the stage from basic data collection and to the publication of the Development Plan - 2030 in the Gazette, the Chief Minister of the Provincial Council of the North-Western Province, the Political authority including the Governor, all public officers including the Chief Secretary, the Mayor of the Kurunegala Municipal Council, staff members of the Kurunegala Municipal Council including Municipal Commissioner, the Chairmen of the Kurunegala Pradeshiya Sabha, all staff members of Pradeshiya Sabha including the Secretary are hereby gratefully acknowledged. Our sincere thank go to the District Secretary, Divisional Secretaries, Kurunegala Police, Education Department, Health Department, Sri Lanka Transport Board, Railway Department, Ceylon Electricity Board, Sri Lanka Telecom, Road Development Authority, Provincial Environmental Authority, Wayamba Development Authority, National Water Supply and Drainage Board and to the Public including voluntary organizations, Kurunegala Traders Association, School Van Owners Association etc. for the contribution made to make this plan a success in giving valuable opinions made at the meetings held for public opinions. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Chairmen, Director General, Additional Director General and Deputy Director General Planning of the Urban Development Authority who guided this endeavor to a success and to the Divisions of Development and Research Development Planning Geographic Information System Environmental and Landscape Enforcement and finally to the staff of North-Western Province of the Urban Development Authority. iv Honourable Minister’s forward Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka Minister of Megapolis & Western Development Having been established under the provisions of the Urban Development Authority Law: Act No. 41 of 1978, the Urban Development Authority by now has completed 40 years of service contributing to planned urban development in Sri Lanka. At this moment the UDA marks another milestone by completing a comprehensive Development Plans for main urban development areas in the Island. This development plan has been prepared for the implementation of the envisaged integrated development of the Kurunegala (Municipal Council and Pradeshiya Sabha) area. Kurunegala town which is the commercial center and the administrative capital of the Kurunegala District, serves a large catchment of population. Further the main expectation of the plan is Kurunegala to be develop as the Wayamba metro polis with considering the locational advantage and the development potential of national projects. Our effort is to support the Kurunegala District to be developed accordingly by facilitating the appropriate physical environment. My understanding is that the preparation of this Plan involved extensive consultation with professionals, experts, stakeholders and the communities, while engaging modern methods, sound techniques and innovative approaches. In this regard, I appreciate the extraordinary efforts of the Chairman, Director General, Planning Team and all staff of the Urban Development Authority those who have contributed in numerous ways to successfully complete this work. I also appreciate the support and contribution of relevant local authorities, state and private sector agencies and general public by working equally on the same platform to make the Kurunegala Development Plan a success. v Chairman’s forward Dr. Jagath Munasingha Chairman, Urban Development Authority Today, the Urban Development Authority (UDA) is the apex planning and plan implementation body in Sri Lanka that is responsible for managing the state of the urban environments of the nation. The Authority was established in 1978 with the objective of introducing integrated planning and implementation in order to promote and regulate the developments for the common benefit of all inhabitants of the urban areas. Under the Amendment Act No 4 of 1982; (Part II section 8A [1]) the Urban Development Authority has been mandated to prepare Development Plans for the Urban Development Areas, declared by the Minister-in-charge. The development plan for Kurunegala urban area has been prepared and enforced under such provisions. As a result of the declaration of the Kurunegala(M.C and P.S) as an urban development area, the Urban Development Authority initiated the preparation of Kurunegala development plan considering physical, economic, social and environmental aspects of the Kurunegala and its surroundings. For the implementation of this Plan, we have not forgotten that our path is not as smooth as silk, but as rough as gravel, full of challenges, filled with uncertainties, and fouled by vicious intents. Yet the UDA today is equipped with necessary systems, tools and strategies to face such challenges, withstand those uncertainties and to make the Kurunegala: ‘The Emergine Wa yamba MetropolisEncircling Ethugala”. I take this opportunity to offer my sincere gratitude to the Team of the UDA who had to work hard and was committed to deliver this comprehensive work and also to all those who have supported and contributed with various means towards its formulation and hope the equal and continuous support of the all of them will be there towards its successful implementation. vi Message of the Mayor of Kurunegala Municipal Council and the Chairman of Kurunegala Pradeshiya Sabha The Mayor of Kurunagala The President of Kurunagala MC PS We express our gratitude to the Urban Development Authority, for developing a development plan for the Kurunegala based on the vision of ‘developing a metro city of Kurunegala’, with considering as a common planning boundary both Kurunegala Municipal Council Area and Kurunegala Pradeshiya Sabha Area. This plan aims to formalize the urban development in the Kurunegala town area (the administrative capital of the Northwestern Province) which is currently ongoing as the irregular manner. We believe that, these two local authorities able to move towards an equal development, according to the shared vision of this proposed development plan. We appreciate the realistic attempt of the Urban Development Authority to make the development plan for Kurunegala as a participatory planning approach, by considering criticism,